Basketball: Roland Extends Winning Streak To 20 By Beating Sallisaw

ROLAND — Once again, the Roland was challenged in the Lady Rangers’ first postseason game.

This time, however, the Lady Rangers came up big in the fourth quarter.

Up by only one point early in the fourth against Sallisaw, Roland reeled off a 10-0 run and posted 64-47 win Friday in the 4A District 3 Tournament.

Roland (22-2) takes its 20-game winning streak to the regional semifinals at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Sallisaw against the winner of today’s district playoff between Idabel and Broken Bow.

“We got behind and I was wondering when we was going to get going. But that’s kind of the way our girls have been, they never quit, they usually find some way to get the ‘W,’ and (Friday) was no exception,” Roland coach Bobby Walters said. “I thought we got off to a slow start, but in the second half, I thought we kind of winded up getting things going. … The bench came in and gave us a break or two because we hadn’t pressed like that in a long time, I didn’t know if our legs were going to hold up or not, but I was proud of us.”

Roland trailed by four at halftime. The Lady Rangers finally went in front on a 3 by Sidney Walters before the Lady Diamonds (6-15) quickly regained the lead on a three-point play from Kalyn Martinez. But an 8-0 run, capped by back-to-back 3s from Marissa Enochs and Mikiah McDonald, gave Roland a six-point lead late in the third.

Sallisaw sliced the Lady Rangers lead to 41-40 early in the fourth. From there, Roland, especially Summer Teehee, went to work. The senior post scored eight points as part of a 10-0 run which extended Roland’s advantage to 11 with more than six minutes left.

“We were pretty much focused all week on doing what we have to do, regardless of what Roland did, we had to take care of what we did,” Sallisaw coach Athena McCoy said. “(But) we just turned the ball over way too much, we didn’t take care of the ball like we should have. … Our 3-point shots didn’t fall for us (Friday).”

The Lady Rangers had four players in double figures, led by McDonald’s 17 points. Enochs and Vann had 12 each and Teehee finished with 11 points. Martinez had 14 points and Jordan Spencer 11 to lead the Lady Diamonds, who drop into the regional consolation round with a 1:30 p.m. Thursday game at Sallisaw.

Roland 84, Sallisaw 40

BOYS — One week after Seth Youngblood set a school record for the most 3s in a game, his Rangers teammate Marcus Chestnut tied it. Chestnut hit eight 3s, including five in the final quarter, in the Rangers’ district playoff win.

“My teammates are just unselfish and they know that I’m capable of getting hot at a moment’s notice and their unselfishness led to some good things happening (Friday),” Chestnut said.

Chestnut hit a 3 to end the first half as Roland (23-1) built a 41-14 advantage. In the fourth quarter, he scored 15 points, all on 3s, as Roland led by more than 40 points.

For the game, Chestnut finished with 24 points to lead all scorers. Youngblood added 15 while Gunner Lynch and Austin Cantrell had 10 each. Roland also got a boost with the return of senior forward Corey Whisenant, out since January with an MCL injury. Whisenant scored nine points.

Tanner Dobbs led the Black Diamonds with 14 points.

Muldrow 61, Wagoner 37

GIRLS — Emily Morgan had 11 points and Halee Sharp added 10 as the Lady Bulldogs (19-5) won their 4A District 7 playoff. Muldrow moves on to the regional semifinals Thursday in Wagoner at 6:30 p.m.

Muldrow held Wagoner to nine points in the second half before the Lady Bulldogs began freely substituting players.

Muldrow 65, Wagoner 60

BOYS — Nate Hamilton reached double figures for the seventh straight game as he poured in 31 points, including a buzzer-beating shot to end the first half, in the Bulldogs’ district playoff win.

Muldrow (17-7), which has won eight of its last 10 games, also got 10 points from Colton Keith.